Summary
Are you struggling to survive trampler battles in SAND: Raiders of Sophie, unsure which cannons to use or where to aim? Whether you're fighting for your first SAND: Raiders of Sophie Crown or just trying to extract with valuable loot, this guide breaks down target priority, cannon choice, and ammo types to help you win engagements and go from being chased to being the threat others flee from.
The Reactor: Your Primary Target
The motor reactor is the heart of every trampler. If this reactor is destroyed, the trampler will blow up beyond repair. During a fight, you'll eventually need to focus on their reactor.
How to find it: If it's hard to see where the reactor is, always look at where the smoke is coming from. Each shot lets you know where you're hitting and how much damage you're doing. Shoot right below the smoke and you'll eventually hit the reactor.
Defensive tip: While you're shooting their reactor, assume they're shooting yours at the same time. Maneuvering or building your trampler in a defensive manner will help, though that means it'll cost more to build.
Secondary Targets: Legs and Turrets
Legs – Cripple Their Mobility
If they're trying to run or have better maneuverability, take out a single leg and it'll slow them down significantly. You'll notice if they take out a leg since your trampler will take a sudden halt before picking up speed again. There are times when it's better to simply stop your trampler and repair your legs quickly, then get back into the fight at optimal speed and maneuverability.
Why legs first: Go for the legs first—cripple their mobility and half the threat is gone. They can't flank you, can't escape, and become a slow predictable target. Next, take out their cannons so even though they're stuck, they can't punish you back.
Turrets – Reduce Their Firepower
Destroying enemy turrets means they'll need to repair their cannons relatively quickly. Usually, this means you'll be getting additional hits in when they can't fight back. Use this time to shoot the reactor, attempt to kill them, or even repair your own trampler.
40mm Cannons – The Sustained Damage Workhorse
The 40mm cannon is a go-to choice, especially when playing solo. The huge advantage is that you don't need a reload—as long as you don't shoot too fast, you basically shoot constantly. This allows the 40mm to provide the highest DPS over other cannons.
Solo tip: As a solo player, placing this cannon next to your wheel allows you to quickly hop from one to the other. Being lined up is just as important as having good cannons since you can't hit your shots if they're in your blind spot.
Range limitation: The default 40mm ammo won't have the same range as 80mm ammo—it simply doesn't have enough power behind the shots. This means you're going to be trying to stay relatively close to other tramplers. While you can still shoot from range, you'll have unpredictable hits, especially if they're moving around.
Pro tip: The 40mm cannon fires continuously but overheats if you hold the trigger down, so fire in short controlled bursts.
40mm Ammo Types
The default 40mm ammo works well for close-to-mid range sustained fire. If you're struggling with range, the long range variant fixes that problem, allowing you to hit your shots from further distance. The low recoil variant lets you shoot faster because you can hold your target easier with less recoil. All these ammo types do the same damage—they're just used for different scenarios.
80mm Cannons – The Heavy Hitter
The 80mm cannons pack a serious punch compared to the 40mm. While the base DPS for 40mm can be higher, you might not always be hitting your targets. The 80mm allows you to line up your shot and do a massive amount of damage each hit.
Why it's slower: It needs a reload. However, being able to land your shots from a distance is huge. The 80mm fires one big slow round that deals serious damage, but it sits empty by default and takes a moment to reload between shots.
80mm Ammo Types
The default 80mm ammo delivers standard heavy damage at range. If you need to hit even further away, the high velocity ammo extends your reach significantly. For those having a hard time hitting the trampler directly, the proximity fuse ammo only needs your shots to be nearby to explode. However, this ammo explodes on the closest compartment, so you can't always hit where you want to hit. All these ammo types do the same damage but have different times to use them.
70mm Cannons – The Shotgun Cannon
The 70mm cannons are your shotgun-style cannons. With the base 70mm ammo, you'll shoot small projectiles like buckshot. The main use isn't going to be for doing damage to the trampler, but instead the people on the trampler. You need to be pretty close—such as when you ram or are about to collide. If you line up your shot on a player at close range, they are as good as dead.
70mm Ammo Types
The default 70mm ammo works as close-range anti-personnel with buckshot spread. The slug ammo is basically an 80mm shot, but you have to get pretty close to hit your shot. The smoke ammo is particularly versatile—shooting this at the enemy will make them unable to see anything. This is when you move your trampler to the side and continue to lay on fire, or even make a surprise boarding attempt under cover of smoke. The options for the 70mm cannon are way more versatile compared to the other two.
Cannon Rarity and Quality
Moving up in cannon rarity—such as worn, standard, and pristine—primarily helps with reloading time, as well as higher shooting speed for the 40mm. The bottom line is higher rarity equals higher DPS.
Group Play Strategy
If you're in a group, use all three cannons together so you can be ready for any situation. A popular all-rounder setup is a 40mm for sustained pressure and an 80mm for the finishing blow, mounted front and back so you've always got a weapon facing the threat.
Suggested roles for groups:
One player pilots and steers
One player operates the front cannons
One player handles rear cannons and repairs
Boarding: The Boldest Play
Once you've weakened an enemy, the boldest play is to stop trading shots and physically push your trampler into theirs. Breach into their captain's cabin and interact with the terminal on the table—that hands you their ship and all its cargo, and instantly denies them the ability to respawn or open doors. From there you only need to kill them once and the fight's over.
Useful tools for boarding:
Time bombs and C4 are brilliant for blowing open doors, wheels, or cannons and clearing a path
A pair of revolvers is a reliable PvP pick—six rounds each, quick to reload, and if you're caught mid-reload you just swap to the second one
Repair and Survive
Defense wins these brawls as much as offense. The second your trampler takes damage, get on the multi-tool and patch it up—the pipes, plates, and circuit boxes dotted around the captain's quarters, crew rooms, and the reactor itself.
Key repair tips:
Damaged legs slow you down, so keep those mended too
The longer your trampler stays healthy, the longer you last
These fights are often won by attrition—the one who kept repairing is the one that limps away
Final Tips
Target priority is crucial—go for legs first, then cannons, then the reactor. Fire the 40mm in short bursts, repair constantly, steal ships by taking the captain's terminal to kill respawns, and grab black boxes from wrecked reactors for extra value. Solo players should go small and fast with clustered components, while squads build heavy with hidden reactors and split roles. Master target priority and ammo choice to become the threat others flee from—and if you need to fast-track progress, trusted platforms like MMOEXP offer cheap SAND: Raiders of Sophie Crown to help you gear up quickly. Good luck out there on the sands.
